This invention relates to the field of food processing, and more particularly, to apparatus and methods for peeling vegetables and fruits.
It is common in many food processing applications to require the peeling of the outer skin of fruits or vegetables. Potatoes, in particular, are very often so processed by passing the potatoes against a set of rotating abrasive rollers. Fruit may also be similarly processed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,605,798 to Boswell discloses a citrus fruit peeler including a pair of abrading rollers and an auger screw which advances the citrus along the rollers.
Along these lines, U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,914 to Wallace discloses a single chamber fruit and vegetable peeler including a frame, a plurality of abrasive roller carried by the frame and arranged in an arcuate pattern, and a drive motor and gears coupled to the rollers. The abrasive rollers are provided in lengthwise segments to facilitate replacement of a damaged section without requiring replacement of an entire roller. Action of the rollers advances the fruit or vegetables from an intake to a discharge. A rinsing system is provided to wash material from the rollers. The vegetables or fruit are subjected to a tumbling action within the peeling chamber. The amount of peeling is controlled by a height of a gate at the discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,305 to Vanosdall discloses a similar apparatus wherein an auger extends only partway into the chamber from the discharge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,429 also to Wallace discloses a similar apparatus which includes an auger at a feed hopper, and a rotatable tumbler including rotating paddles within the peeling chamber. This patent also discloses a vision analysis system to evaluate the degree of peeling and adjust the various parameters to provide a desired degree of peeling.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,237,782 to Bichel and 4,827,836 to Neidigh disclose peeling apparatus wherein the abrasive rollers are driven by individual hydraulic motors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,088 to Zittel discloses a peeler that includes individual electric motors to drive each roller. The rollers can be operated at different speeds or in different directions. An auger which extends through the peeling chamber, may also be controlled by an electric motor.
To increase capacity, a dual peeling or washing chamber apparatus was offered by Vanmark Corporation under the model designation Series 2800. The apparatus included two side-by-side chambers wherein the auger screws rotated in a same direction. Accordingly, the abrasive rollers extended around an arc further upward on a same side at the center of the apparatus. Unfortunately, this arrangement places a number of abrasive rollers in the interior of the peeling apparatus which makes maintenance more difficult for these interior rollers and associated portions. Such an arrangement also increases the needed width of the machine, thereby complicating its placement with other processing equipment.
Conventional peeling machines have also generally suffered from poor maintainability because of the mounting of rollers and respective motors. Accessing and replacing such components may be especially difficult since other processing equipment may be placed relatively close to the peeling machine. In addition, the bearings used in conventional machines may not provide a sufficient service life and/or permit high operating speeds of the rollers.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a peeling apparatus and associated methods which permit more ready maintenance and/or which provide higher capacity.
These and other objects, features and advantages in accordance with one embodiment of the invention are provided by a peeling apparatus comprising a frame, a set of mounts including flange bearings and being removably connected to a first end of the frame adjacent at least one first roller opening, and a set of abrasive rollers being arranged to define a peeling chamber and having first ends rotatably supported by the flange bearings. The mounts permit the abrasive rollers to be installable or removable through the at least one first roller opening upon removal of the respective mounts from the frame. The peeling apparatus may also include a set of roller drive motors for respective abrasive rollers that are also carried by respective mounts. Accordingly, the motors and rollers can be readily removed and installed, such as for maintenance.
Each mount may have a trapezoidal shape, and the mounts may be arranged in side-by-side relation to define an arc. The peeling chamber may extend generally horizontally. The flange bearings used in the mounts may be more desirable than pillow block bearings which are often used in similar peeling apparatus.
A feeder may also be provided for feeding fruit or vegetables adjacent the set of abrasive rollers so that the first end defines an intake end. Accordingly, the mounts permit installation and removal of the abrasive rollers from the intake end.
In accordance with one advantageous feature, the number of abrasive rollers in the set thereof may be greater than eight. For a dual chamber peeling apparatus, the number of abrasive rollers may be greater than sixteen.
A second set of flange bearings may be carried by a second end of the frame for respective second ends of the abrasive rollers. Moreover, each of the second set of flange bearings may comprise a two-fastener flange bearing having a generally oval footprint. This permits each flange bearing of the second set of flange bearings to be canted at an angle and nested into an adjacent flange bearing. Since the second end is typically the discharge end, this relatively compact arrangement of flange bearings permits the fruit or vegetables to be readily discharged.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a high capacity peeling apparatus that includes dual peeling chambers and wherein feeders in the form of augers rotate in opposite directions. More particularly, the peeling apparatus may comprise a frame, and first and second peeling chambers carried by the frame in side-by-side relation. The first peeling chamber may include a first set of abrasive rollers and a first auger adjacent thereto, and the second peeling chamber may include a second set of abrasive rollers and a second auger adjacent thereto. The first and second augers preferably comprise respective helical flights oriented in opposite helical directions. The peeling apparatus may also include a drive for driving the first and second augers in opposite rotational directions.
The first set of abrasive rollers may be aligned along a first arc, and the second set of abrasive rollers may be aligned along a second arc being a mirror image of the first arc. To facilitate maintenance of the dual chamber embodiment, the first and second arcs preferably each extend higher along outsides of the peeling apparatus. In other words, the number of rollers along the inner portion of the apparatus is reduced in favor of more rollers along the more accessible outer portion.
Another aspect of the invention relates to cleaning. More particularly, the peeling apparatus may comprise a cleaning solution delivery system for contacting surfaces of the peeling chamber with a cleaning solution. This cleaning solution delivery system may be connected to a common cleaning solution delivery system that extends within the processing plant, and which is shared with other processing apparatus.
Additionally relating to cleaning, the peeling apparatus may include a cleaning solution collection system for collecting cleaning solution after contacting surfaces of the peeling chamber. This cleaning solution collection system may also be connected to a common cleaning solution collection system in the processing plant which is also shared with other processing apparatus.
One method aspect of the invention relates to a method for making a peeling apparatus. This method preferably comprises providing a frame, removably connecting a set of mounts to a first end of the frame adjacent at least one first roller opening with each mount comprising a flange bearing. The method may also include arranging a set of abrasive rollers to define a peeling chamber and having first ends rotatably supported by respective flange bearings of the mounts. Accordingly, the abrasive rollers are installable or removable through the at least one first roller opening upon removal of the respective mounts from the frame. The method may also include connecting a set of roller drive motors to respective abrasive rollers and that are also carried by respective mounts.
Another method aspect of the invention is also directed to making a peeling apparatus. The method may include providing a frame, and arranging a set of abrasive rollers to define a peeling chamber by rotatably supporting first ends of the abrasive rollers using a first set of flange bearings carried by the first end of the frame, and rotatably supporting second ends of the abrasive rollers using a second set of flange bearings carried by the second end of the frame.
Yet another method aspect of the invention is for peeling fruit or vegetables. The method preferably comprises providing first and second peeling chambers carried by a frame in side-by-side relation, with the first peeling chamber comprising a first set of abrasive rollers and a first auger adjacent thereto, and with the second peeling chamber comprising a second set of abrasive rollers and a second auger adjacent thereto. The first and second augers preferably comprise respective helical flights oriented in opposite helical directions. The method also preferably includes driving the first and second augers in opposite rotational directions to thereby advance the objects along the first and second sets of abrasive rollers respectively.
Still another method aspect of the invention relates to a method for processing fruit or vegetables using a plurality of processing apparatus and comprising at least one peeling apparatus. This method preferably comprises providing a common cleaning solution delivery system connected to the processing apparatus, and providing the peeling apparatus with a cleaning solution delivery system connected to the common cleaning solution delivery system. In addition, the method may include providing a common cleaning solution collection system connected to the processing apparatus, and providing the peeling apparatus with a cleaning solution collection system connected to the common cleaning solution collection system.